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Helmut Marko disappointed as FIA fails to change super license rules for Colton Herta’s F1 debut

Samriddhi Jaiswal
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Helmut Marko disappointed as FIA fails to change super license rules for Colton Herta's F1 debut

Red Bull’s Helmut Marko is disappointed as FIA fails to find a way around the rule book to grant Colton Herta a super license.

The 2022 silly season brought opportunities for Red Bull to join hands with Indycar sensation Colton Herta for an F1 debut. The team put in a lot of effort in making it possible but has now given up on the idea due to issues relating to FIA granting a super license.

After Fernando Alonso left a vacant seat at Alpine, AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly became a potential candidate for the French team.

While Gasly already has a contract with the Red Bull junior team until 2023, the British team is willing to find a way around it, given that they find a worthy drive at AlphaTauri.

The team had its eyes set on Indycar sensation Colton Herta, but there was a hurdle yet to be crossed to achieve that. To race in F1, a driver requires a super license. This license is issued to drivers only after they have scored 40 points.

Herta only has 32 points, and there is no way the American driver can score anymore by the end of the 2022 season. The Red Bull team has been trying to find a way around it but has failed and has thus stopped to create the necessary framework conditions to make this possible.

Also Read: 2020 F2 runner-up settles F2 vs Indycar Debate as Colton Herta eyes AlphaTauri seat

FIA does not realize the value Herta can add to the growth of F1 in America

Since Liberty Media acquired F1 in 2017, the sport has been trying to beat or at least level with the big leagues in America.

The sport has created an enormous market for itself in the US and is doing more to expand further such as adding new GPs to the calendar on the American map.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes that Herta’s entry into the sport would have helped the sport. But after finally giving up hope on the super license issue, the 79-year-old Austrian thinks it is a shame that FIA fails to understand Herta’s value.

Marko said on Motorsport-Total.com, “It’s a shame that you don’t realize the value an American driver, especially a guy like Colton Herta, would have for booming America with three races.”

Also Read: F1 journalist claims Colton Herta move to AlphaTauri isn’t happening

About the author

Samriddhi Jaiswal

Samriddhi Jaiswal

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Samriddhi Jaiswal is an F1 editor and writer at The SportsRush. She started her career as a business journalist but soon found her calling in lights out here we go! Samriddhi has been a Ferrari fan even when her interaction with F1 was occasional. Her first real experience with the thrilling sport came when Charles Leclerc clinched his iconic victory in Spa and Monza and painted the track red. Now, a Tifosi, Samriddhi is a hardcore fan of the prancing horse and can relate to the chaos within the Italian camp and also admires Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. Off the track, she finds her home in books and musical instruments.

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